


Daggers and Chance Encounters

by DanieXJ



Category: ER, Warehouse 13
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-21
Updated: 2012-12-18
Packaged: 2017-11-14 18:43:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/518355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanieXJ/pseuds/DanieXJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Helena is looking for the silver dagger that Artie wants, and Kerry is trying to find herself again. They meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place soon after Warehouse 13's Epi 4x08 'Second Chance', and so has spoilers for up to that episode.
> 
> Yep, I just had to do it. Laura Innes on Warehouse 13, this just popped into my head. 
> 
> Also, seriously, this is not one of my happy go lucky stories. I thought it would be, and then I realized something while writing the first chapter and suddenly the entire story changed from what I was going to do to something totally different.

“Whoa, Kerry, ah... Doctor Weaver. You are the last person I thought I’d run into.”

Kerry gave the brunette a half hearted smile. “Hi Randi.”

“Oh, are you interviewing for something here?”

Kerry raised an eyebrow at Randi, “I don't know Miranda, am I?”

Randi chuckled, then spoke over her shoulder, “Takin’ my break Jerry. Don’t let the place burn down while I’m gone.” She threaded her arm through Kerry’s and practically pulled the red head out of the ER and to a bench against the ER’s outside wall.

“Okay, spill. What’s wrong?”

Kerry shook her head, “I’m just passing through on my way out west... wanted to see the old stomping gro--”

“Bullshit. Try again.”

“Randi.”

Randi pointed at Kerry, “See, that, there. You called me Randi.”

“I call you Randi all the ti--”

“Nope.” Randi’s face went totally serious, “Look, you don’t have to tell me, I’m just--”

Kerry looked down at her hands as she cut Randi off. “Henry, my son, he died.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Randi didn’t speak, but put her arms around Kerry and hugged her as hard as she could. Kerry was stiff for a moment, then with a silent shudder she let everything she’d been holding in out. Her tears soaking Randi’s shoulder.

oOOOOo

Helena G. Wells glanced around the train station, “Chicago. Why would the bloody thing be here.” She shook her head, “I think I need a raise... oh yes, I’m not getting quite paid at the moment.”

A man cleared his throat to one side of Helena, “Are you okay ma’am?”

Helena gave him a smile, “Just dandy young man. Could you direct me to County General Hospital?”

The man frowned, “County, you don’t look sick.”

Helena speared the man with a look, “Directions.”

“Ah, right, you ever ridden the El?”

oOOOOo

Kerry cleared her throat and sat up, wiping at her eyes, “Sorry, I...”

“You’re heartbroken and in pain and grieving, but ‘cause you’re Kerry ‘freakin’ Weaver you think you have to be perfect and robotic and emotionless and strong.” Randi glanced back at the ER doors, “My shift is nearly over, will you be okay here for a bit?”

Kerry nodded, “I’ll... yes.”

“Good.”

Randi went back into the hospital and Kerry watched as people and ambulances came and went.

oOOOOo

Helena found herself in the Ambulance Bay of County General. She had to jump out of the way as an ambulance came screaming into the bay. She lost her balance and felt herself start to tumble backwards. But, her fall was stopped by two strong arms around her middle. They helped her stand and she turned. “Thank you.” In front of her stood a woman of medium stature with red hair and piercing green eyes.

The redhead regarded Helena, “You should be more careful.”

Helena smiled, “If I were more careful I wouldn’t have met you now would I?”

Kerry blinked, “Ah-- okay. I should--”

“Do you have a name?”

Kerry tilted her head to one side, “I have three, plus a title, you?”

Helena’s eyes twinkled, “Three as well, but no title. Oh, and a nickname... shall we trade names?”

Kerry pursed her lips, “I quite like my name. Don’t think I’d want someone else’s. You?”

Helena nodded, “A valid point, a valid point. I’ve gotten by with my name so far, don’t want to lose it without a fight now do I. So, how about another name. Miranda Fronczak.” Kerry thought that she kept her face perfectly still, revealed nothing, but Helena nodded, “Ah, you know her. Where can I find her?”

Kerry frowned, “Why?”

Helena gestured to the bench, “May I sit?”

Kerry stood aside, “Free country. Are you planning on answering my question?”

As Kerry sat at the other end of the bench Helena shook her head, “I’m not. I’m--” she paused, “--Helena Wells.”

Kerry held out her hand and they shook, “Kerry Weaver.”

“What’s your title?”

It was Kerry’s turn to pause, “Doctor, M.D., although, I’m not sure if I can still do it.”

Both Kerry and Helena watched as another Ambulance came into the bay. “I understand. You lost someone.”

Kerry’s head turned to study Helena, “How’d-- yes. My, son.”

Helena took out a locket, opened it and looked down. “I lost my daughter as well. Christina.”

“Henry.”

Helena blew out a breath, “Well-- we sucked the air from this bay haven’t we. I apologize. Shall we resume a lighter banter?”

Kerry chuckled and sighed, “I-- I haven’t really laughed in awhile. Thank you Ms. Wells.”

“Please, Helena.” She faced Kerry, bringing one leg up under her, “May I call you Kerry?”

“Go crazy.”

Helena shook her head, “Generally when you go crazy the second time, they lock you in the psych ward for much longer than I’d like to be locked there.”

“You think you’re charming.”

“Is it working?” Kerry rolled her eyes as Helena shivered, “This place is actually windy. I wasn’t anticipating that it would still be this windy.”

Kerry stood, taking off her leather jacket and draping it over Helena’s back, “Here--”

“No, Kerry, you’ll be--”

Kerry sat back down, cutting Helena off, “I’ve spent most of my life in this part of the country. I’ll live. So... I’m a Doctor, you?”

“Very busy--” Kerry kept her gaze on Helena, “I guess I’m an antiques and.... curiosities dealer.”

“Mmmhmmm...”

“May I ask how your son died?”

Kerry stood and turned away from Helena. She faced toward the bay doors of the ER, her arms crossed over her chest, “You’re changing the subject.”

“I am.” Helena was silent for a moment, “That doesn’t mean that I don’t truly want to know.” She pulled the jacket tighter, “My... my daughter was killed. I’m still not exactly sure who did it. She was only a girl, eight years old.”

Helena watched as Kerry took a deep breath in, held it for a beat, let it out and turned. “Why would you tell me that?”

Helena frowned, “Ah, I’m not exactly sure why I told you actually.”

“He, he was.... Henry was eight too. He was hit by a driver. A drunk driver, drunk at two in the afternoon. H-- he was on his bike and I was...” Kerry cleared her throat and put a hand to her face, “I was two hundred yards away, I could see as... as...” Kerry took a few more deep breaths, never looking at Helena, whose own face was pinched in pain, “He was--”

Helena cut Kerry off, finishing her thought, “--my light. My happiness.”

Kerry sat back down, “Yes, back to depressing subjects huh?”

“Yes...” Helena gave Kerry a half a grin, “But, I am much warmer this time. And, I do apologize for bringing up such a still painful topic. I... I have had more time to grieve for Christina and still it hurts every day.” Helena changed the subject again, “So, if you know Ms. Fronczak, does that mean that you worked here?”

Kerry gave a shake of her head, “Nope, but I did run the place. Well, both places actually. The ER and then the entire hospital.”

Helena looked Kerry up and down, “I’d bet it was a good place to-- in a phrase you Americans would use-- pick up chicks.”

Kerry was about to deny that, vehemently, then she thought back to her years in the halls of County, not to mention the years that her co-workers had spent there, and all the relationships that had transpired. “Hmmm.... you may be right. So, what do you want with Miranda?”

“She may have something that is dangerous. I wish to buy it from her.”

Kerry sat down and leaned back into the bench, “In that case, we’ll wait here together for her.”

“Together?”

“Yes. She’s my friend,” Kerry winced, “And these days I don’t have a lot of those.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, that was a ping. Artie, your micro pinger did its ping thing--”

Pete nearly had it open when Artie snatched it from Pete’s hands. “It... was not a ping, and you have an assignment already.”

But Pete was having none of it, “Nope. I saw Chicago.”

Artie pointed towards the door that led to the entrance and exit to the Warehouse, “No. Boston. Your ping is in Boston, the Fens to be specific. Where you get to retrieve whatever is causing the--”

“--epic suckage and one and a half year swoon of the Boston Red Sox?”

Myka spoke up, “Bad management and too much reliance on big names instead of good people and players. Oh, and the guy with the same initials as Lex Luthor.” Both Pete and Artie looked at Myka, “What? Am I wrong?”

“Go, go, go, shoo... go.”

Pete and Myka gave Artie one last look, then shook their heads and left the Warehouse. Artie sank into his desk chair and flipped open the mini ping detector. There it was, the dagger that was supposed to be stabbed into him by Claudia. In Chicago somewhere. And with him unable to communicate with Helena, he could only hope that she was there too.

oOOOOo

“Oh, Kerry, you’ve made a friend.”

“And you’ve gotten more comedic since I’ve been gone Miranda.” She glanced at Helena who had gotten to her feet, and with a sigh Kerry stood herself, “Miranda Fronczak, meet Helena Wells.”

Randi stuck out her hand and Helena shook it. “Call me Randi. Everyone ‘cept this one calls me Randi.” She glanced over at Kerry, “Even my mother. So, what can I do you for?”

Helena looked around the bay, “Could we perhaps conduct our business somewhere more-- civilized. And warm?”

Randi shrugged, “I was gonna make the Doc here dinner anyway. May as well have one more.”

“I don’t want to impose.”

Randi raised her eyebrows, looked pointedly at the jacket that Helena still wore, then back to Helena, “Uh huh... So, Miss Prim, you ever been on the El in our fair city?”

“Young lady, I have been taking all manner of mass transit since before you were born.”

oOOOOo

“Hmm--”

“Hmmm?”

“Mine only had two m’s.”

“Claudia---”

“Arrrrtie---” Artie starred holes into Claudia’s forehead, “Uh, right, I think the mini pager thing isn’t working quite right. It missed some sorta silver dagger in... Chicago.”

Artie shot Claudia a look, making sure he didn’t look at the screen, “You keep track of the pings that come in?”

“Well, Artimus, I--” she pointed at her chest, “--don’t keep track of anything, this,” she pointed at the computer screen, “does, the system does. The Regents, and more importantly Mrs. Fredric have rules about those sorts of things. We could.”

“No.”

“But...”

“No, Claudia.”

Claudia raised both hands and pushed back from the computer, “Hey, just your trusty punching bag here. But-- Jinksy’s alive and so I’m in a good mood and I’m going to give you a pass for today. But, you know, if ya want to, share... a thought, an idea, a problem, I’ll be doing--” She gave a faux gasp, “Inventory.”

oOOOOo

“Are you planning on stealing it?”

Helena jerked just a little, “You’re a very quiet one. Not many can surprise me.”

Kerry crossed her arms over her chest. They were in the main room of Randi’s apartment, in front of her window that looked out onto the street while Randi finalized dinner. “You don’t talk like an antiques dealer. Con-woman in another life?”

“Another life...” Helena gave a half hearted smile and shook her head, “No, no-- I never played the long con.”

Kerry frowned just a little, “Still...”

Randi called out from the ‘dining area’, “Dinner’s on.”

They all sat down and it was silent as they dug in. Kerry spoke first, “This is good.”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Kerry glanced at Helena, “I thought I heard an echo, did you hear an echo Randi? Because I could have sworn I just said that.”

Randi sort of managed to bite back a smile. Helena wasn’t backing down though, “No... Doctor-- you used the word good. Which tends to mean the food is adequate, it’s approved of. I believe that it’s more than adequate, it’s delicious.”

Kerry shot right back, “Only delicious, not stupendous or bloody brilliant?”

Randi couldn’t hold it in any longer and laughter erupted from her. Both Helena and Kerry sat there and watched as she laughed and laughed. After a moment Kerry and Helena started eating again and a minute or so later Randi mostly calmed down. “S-sorry. That just... you two.” She shook her head.

Helena looked over the table at Kerry, “Do you know what she’s going on about?”

“No idea. Miranda?”

Randi cleared her throat and shook her head, “Ah, nothing. So, your business Wells?”

Helena seemed to go with the change of subject very well, “A dagger, it’s silver. Perhaps it has a reddish handle or cloth with it?”

“A dagger, a dagger...” She fell silent, “A knife, give me a sec.” She stood and went into her bedroom.

“Have you known her long?”

Kerry calculated in her head, then frowned, “Seventeen years. Wow. Ah, she’s always been a good friend, even when I didn’t know she was one. If you get what I mean.

Helena nodded, “I do.” She studied the redhead, “And I feel that’s a story.”

“Mmhmmm, it involves a bloody nose and a crutch.”

Helena glanced up as Randi came back into the room, “And I thought my life had been interesting.”

Randi was nearly back to the table when her foot hit an uneven spot on the floor. She went flying, as did the dagger. The fabric that was around it unravelled and the dagger flew, point first, right at Helena.

Somehow Kerry got there first and in midair she wrapped her hand around the dagger’s hilt as Helena exclaimed, “No...”

oOOOOo

To Kerry it felt as if she’d been hit by lightning while being run over a car. She was on her back, but was also pretty sure that she was no longer in Randi’s apartment. Her vision slowly cleared and she blinked in surprise. She was somewhere-- ginormous to use what had been one of her Henry’s favorite words. She slowly stood and looked around. She was on some sort of balcony over what seemed like an endless room.

She squinted, something was going on in one of the thousands, millions, of rows of stuff. On the railing were some sort of large, weird looking binoculars. She focused them on the rows. There was Helena, and she was yelling or at least talking emphatically at an older brown haired man with a beard and a few extra pounds. One hand was poking the man in the chest while the other held back a small dark haired child who looked like the spitting image of Helena.

Kerry jumped as a voice came from right beside her. It was two women, on black with a wierd single braid of grey hair, the other was white with a very, very, very unfashionable bracelet on. “We don’t know if it will work Irene.”

This Irene seemed to be looking at the same confrontation that Kerry had been. “Jane, what possesed the Regents to keep HG Wells’ daughter from her? DId it not occur to you that you were simply causing her, and the rest of the world unimaginable pain? This-- solution that the dagger showed Arthur will be the same. It does not... feel... right.”

Jane leaned on the railing with a sigh, “The decision to hide, to- put Christina in suspended animation, or, or whatever they did to her. It was not made by my-- generation-- of Regents. But, she was in the bronze sector, and...” Jane sighed, “We never could have guessed that she would ever be un-bronzed. As for the dagger, why would it be wrong?”

Irene gave Jane a pointed look, “It is César Nostradamus’ dagger Jane. If there were ever an artifact whose use was going to be complicated, it would be this one.”

oOOOOo

With a jerk Kerry’s eyes flew open, and she gasped for a breath. She was on the apartment floor and Randi leaned over her. Helena, HG, was off to one side, with purple gloves on about to touch the dagger. Kerry sat up, throwing her hand out, “Don’t--”

Helena paused, “I know what I’m doing.”

Kerry shook her head, then held it as the world shifted and she got dizzy, “No-- just-- stop. Leave it there for-- for a second, please.”

“You okay Doc?”

Kerry put a hand to her head, “Just-- I need a minute to think.”

Helena frowned, “What happened?”

“Just-- give me a minute,” Kerry looked up and met Helena’s eyes, “Will the world end if I have a minute?”

oOOOOo

Pete looked around, “We’re not in Boston anymore Mykes.”

Myka rolled her eyes, “Yes, actually we’re in LA. To find whatever was taken from the Fenway offices.”

“Anddd.... we know that something was taken.... how again?”

Myka shook her head, “Because I was interviewing people while you were in the North End eating a Canoli.”

“What, I could smell them from Logan. And I had Clam Chowder too. Though I think I like the Manhattan stuff better.”

“Manhattan Chowder is not... it’s not even...” Myka trailed off, “It... why am I talking about this. We’re looking for Frank McCourt, former owner of the Dodgers.”

Pete nodded, “Who tried to buy the Red Sox. See, I listen.”

Myka pursed her lips, “To Sportscenter, yes...”

“Well, I am a male, and it is on.... alllll the time.” He glanced around, “Do we have any idea what we’re looking for?”

“A fishing lure.”

Pete looked confusedly at Myka, “A fishing lure?”

Myka shrugged, “I don’t make the artifacts, just snag, bag and tag them.”

oOOOOo

“Very simple was my explanation, and plausible enough--- as most wrong theories are!”

Helena blinked in surprise, all her attention riveted on Kerry, the dagger forgotten on the floor. “What did you just say?”

Kerry shook her head, “Just... I don’t know what happened. And, truly, if I told anyone what happened...” Kerry shook her head. “It’s just... did I hit my head?”

Helena took Kerry’s hand in her own and Kerry jumped. “Kerry. Please. Tell me.”

With her free hand Kerry reached towards Helena’s neck. Randi raised an eyebrow, “You two need the room?”

Kerry didn’t speak, but reached under Helena’s shirt and took Helena’s locket in her hand. She flipped it open with her thumb and when she saw the picture she took a step back away from Helena. “That-- that’s your daughter?”

Helena frowned, “Yes.” She narrowed her eyes, “You may as well tell me what you saw. ...it's no use locking the door after the steed is stolen.”

Kerry shook her head, “It’s not... possible.”

Helena took a step forward, infringing on Kerry’s personal space, “What is that from?”

“The Island of Doctor Moreau,” Kerry frowned, “A book by HG Wells.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Randi put both hands up, one towards either woman, “Wait, wait, wait. You two.” Her gaze bounced from Helena to Kerry and back to Helena, ”And you’re saying... you’re HG Wells. Sex change?”

Helena pried her gaze away from Kerry and shot Randi a look, “Would you like me to explain or not?” Kerry nodded silently, “Short or long version?”

“Long. Definitely the long.”

oOOOOo

“Ow, ow, ow....”

Myka shook her head as she stood next to his bed in the ER. “Never a dull moment Pete. Never a dull moment.”

Pete winced and flexed his hand, which had quite the gash in it. “Do you have it?”

Myka patted her pocket where the bag with the artifact was. “Ted Williams’ fishing lure.”

“‘Course, it’s too late for ‘em this season. But next...”

“Next what?” Both Myka and Pete looked over as a very blonde woman in scrubs with a clipboard held in front of her chest entered the room, “I’m Doctor Legaspi. Could I have a moment alone with Peter?”

Pete nodded, “Works for me...”

And Myka sighed, “Pete...” The spoke to Doctor Legaspi, “Are you here to stitch him up?”

“I’m not. You can wait outside if you’d like.”

Myka looked between Pete and the doctor, a frown on her face. Pete gave his partner a smile, “I’ll be fine. See if you can get Artie on the... phone.”

Myka gave the doctor one last glare, then left the room. “So Doctor Legs... one of the ER Docs thinks I’m crazy huh?”

Doctor Legaspi blinked in surprise at the nickname. “Ah... yes. Would you care to explain?”

“You got it.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea when J.M. Barrie's first draft of "The Little White Bird" was written. But, this is fanfiction, so, in this crazy ER/Warehouse universe it was written when Claudia says it was written.

The three women were in Randi’s ‘living room’. Randi and Kerry on the couch while Helena paced. Randi leaned over and whispered to Kerry, “Is she crazy?”

Kerry sighed and shook her head, “If she is, then I am too. Because, I... they couldn’t see me, but I think that I saw the future, or... a future. I’m not good with science fiction.”

Helena stopped pacing and looked at Kerry, “And yet you’ve read my books?”

“They’re literature, not science fiction, and good. Well... some of your later ones were sort of... crap.”

Helena shook her head, “Charles thought that he could do it by himself. I was bronzed at the time.”

Randi spoke up, “Bronzed?”

Helena stood perfectly still, her arms at her sides, “You’re sure you saw my daughter. The Warehouse is bi...”

Kerry stood and approached Helena, she pushed her in the chest. “Randi, go stand behind Helena.” Randi made a face, but after a look from Kerry stood just behind Helena. “Okay, I’m in your face, Randi is your daughter, what do you do?”

Helena raised an eyebrow, “I assume that my Christina is shorter than Miranda?”

Randi groaned, “Great, now she has others doing it. Randi, the name is Randi.”

Randi got shushed by both Kerry and Helena. “Well?”

Helena put her arm down, “I hold her back.”

Kerry nodded, “Yeah, it was you, and your daughter. She looked about eight or so.”

Helena’s eyes got a glint of steel in them, “I’ll kill the Regents. Tell me who else was there again?”

Even though she’d already gone over the story she repeated the names, “An Irene and a Jane.”

Helena stood still again, then closed her eyes. After a moment she nodded, “Thank you I...”

Kerry shook her head, “I don’t think so...”

“Excuse me?”

“César Nostredame. Son of Michel de Nostredame. Irene I think, said that this was supposedly his dagger. Well, you’re the... antiques dealer. Tell me why that means that it won’t work for you?”

Helena frowned, “I don’t understand.”

Randi raised her hand, “Ooh, ooh, I know this. It was on the History Channel. Which, really, doesn’t seem like it does actual history anymore, just theories, and lots of depressing end of the world crap. Uh, it was called The Lost Nostradamus or something. Really bad drawings that maybe his kid did, or some crazy cult, or maybe the big kahuna himself.”

Kerry inclined her head towards Randi, “Thank you... Randi.”

Helena shook her head, “I still don’t follow.”

“Property, then and somewhat now, goes from father to son. Older generation to the younger one, which would mean that it was Michel’s dagger as well.” Kerry watched as the gears clicked into place.

“If you hadn’t stopped me I would have bagged the dagger, brought it back to the Warehouse, and they would have used it to see the future, only, like César’s prophecies vs. Michel’s it would have been wrong, because it would have already bonded with you. They were going to kill me?” Kerry opened her mouth to respond, but Helena kept going, “What am I saying, of course they were going to kill me? I have two options.”

“We...”

Helena pursed her lips, “I-- have two options. Go back, confront them about Christina, get her back, and be in the exact position you saw me in, or... find her on my own.”

oOOOOo

“What in the world is that?”

Myka jumped, closing the brown device in her hands, then yelped as she closed it on her finger. “Ah... that stings.”

Doctor Legaspi took Myka’s hand in her own, “Looks like it didn’t break the skin.” She glanced at the clunky and noisy device, “Couldn’t afford the iPhone 5?”

Myka took back her hand, “You’re funny.”

“We’re keeping him overnight.”

Doctor Legaspi started to walk away, but Myka caught her by the arm, “He’s not crazy Doctor.”

Doctor Legaspi turned back and smiled, “I know. But he got quite a bad concussion as well as his cut, and the... neurologist... wants to keep him overnight. He seemed fine about it. Asked if I could get him some extra jello.”

Myka frowned, “That’s it?”

Doctor Legaspi held her clipboard up against her chest, “There should be more?” Myka put a hand against the wall and seemed to sag a little, “Ms. Bering, are you okay?”

Myka sat down on the bench and Kim sat down next to her. “Yes, yes of course I am Doctor Legaspi, just... tired.”

Doctor Legaspi glanced at the door to Pete’s room, “You two are partners?”

“Yes.”

Doctor Legaspi stood, “Follow me.”

Myka didn’t move, “Excuse me?”

Doctor Legaspi let her clipboard lower just a bit, “You need a time out.”

“I--”

Doctor Legaspi interrupted Myka, “Can do nothing pacing in front of your partner’s room. So. Follow me... please.”

oOOOOo

“Why aren’t you more... perturbed?”

Kerry frowned, “Should I be?”

Helena glanced out the window. They were in Kerry’s car. “In the span of a few hours you’ve found out that I am the HG Wells of history, and are helping me find the daughter that I thought died at the end of the 19th Century.”

Kerry glanced over at Helena, then looked back at the road, “Would you like me to be more... freaked out?”

Helena blew out a breath, “I’m not in the mood for sparring.”

Kerry fell silent, driving, “Were you perturbed?”

“No, but...” Helena got a bit of a wistful look on her face, “I had been dreaming about what I found for... ever it seemed. When I found it...”

Kerry cut her off, “...whatever it is, since you haven’t told me. Although, I know... it... is in a Warehouse... or something.”

Helena gave a tired laugh. “I... if I... if we find my daughter. I don’t care what happens. I’ll tell you all about it.”

They both fell silent for a few miles. It was Kerry who broke the silence, “You should sleep. You’re on the verge of collapse. I know where we’re going-- see if you can sleep...”

Helena studied Kerry as the redhead watched the road, “Doctor’s orders?”

Kerry shook her head and rolled her eyes, “Something like that. I’ll wake you when we get--” Kerry glanced to her right, Helena was already out. Kerry mumbled to herself, “What the hell am I doing?”

oOOOOo

“Huh?...” Claudia frowned and looked up to the top of the shelf she stood in front of, then crouched down and looked under it, she even went all the way up and down the length of the shelf. Nothing. “Where are you?”

“Talkin’ to yourself Claude?”

Claudia put a hand to her chest, “Givin’ me an MI much Jinks-y?”

Steve Jinks looked over Claudia’s shoulder, “What’re you mumbling about?”

“J.M. Barrie’s very first draft of The Little White Bird, it’s gone. I mean, not gone, like someone stole it, but... it should be here. This is the Peter Pan section, all the creepy artifacts that are related to the story in some way, some more directly than others, but... I mean, his first draft, I think that he wrote in 1898 or there abouts, I think that should be here.” She pointed to a point on the shelf, “I mean, you have one of Barrie’s first editions to the right, Mary Martin’s tights to the left...”

“Ooh,” Steve smiled, “Do they make you fly?”

“Nope, get shorter I think, and have a really bad haircut?”

“Funny... so, how do you know about this?”

Claudia shook her head, “I... I think I read something in the Warehouse 12 files about them bagging and tagging it.”

Steve went over to the computer input and typed, “Well, this Warehouse doesn’t seem to think it exists either. At all...”

“Hmmm....”

Claudia’s Farnsworth went off and she opened it, “Mrs. Frederic?”

Mrs. Frederic looked a bit off and like she didn’t have good news. “Ms. Donovan, Mr. Jinks. Please return to the office.”

The screen went blank and Steve and Claudia’s gazes met, “That’s not good.”

“Yeah. Really, really not good. Let’s go. If The White Bird has been gone this long, another, however long it takes to solve this problem, won’t matter.”

oOOOOo

“Pie Doctor Legaspi? You must be related to my partner.”

Doctor Legaspi leaned back in her chair, her arms still crossed over her chest, “Please, call me Kim. So. Mr. Lattimer likes pie?”

Myka shook her head as she took a bite, “He likes most foods actually. Is this part of your job?”

Kim smiled, “Oh, my shift was done about ten seconds after I walked out of your partner’s room. This is pro bono. Plus, I really like the pie down here.”

Myka looked down at her pie. “You inhale it like he does too.” She looked up at Kim, “Are you sure you don’t have any Lattimer’s in your family tree?”

“Yeah. Do you like food?”

“Books. And... working... and...” Myka blew out a breath, “That sounds pretty lame doesn’t it?”

Kim shook her head, “There’s nothing wrong with loving your work.”

Myka narrowed her eyes at Kim, “Yep, now I know that you just want to get into my pants.”

Kim laughed, “Nah. I learned that lesson about eleven years ago, don’t mix my work and personal. It never turns out well.”

Myka nodded, “Yep, sometimes when you do, they have to save your life by dying, or they just disappear over and over.”

There was a rusty grindy sound that came from somewhere near Myka. She took out a very old looking thing and with a glance up at Kim she opened it and she and Mrs. Frederic had the same sort of conversation with Myka that she’d had with Steve and Claudia.

Myka stood from the table as she closed the device. Kim stood as well, “That didn’t sound good.”

Myka seemed to realize that Kim was still there, “Ah..." Myka put the Farnsworth away, “I need to... go. Can you sign my partner out, or?”

Kim shook her head, “He shouldn’t leave. He needs to be...”

Myka cut Kim off, “I know the symptoms, I will keep an eye on him, but, we have to go. Now.”

Kim studied Myka for a long moment, then nodded. “Alright, let me come with you. Get you the forms.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the Warehouse 13 4th Season Mid Season Finale - "We All Fall Down". There'll be more spoilers in the next chapter too.

Helena jerked awake, the car wasn’t moving any longer. “Where... are we? Why are we stopped?”

Kerry rested her head against the steering wheel, “Give me a sec. okay?”

Helena frowned over at Kerry and brushed back a lock of the redhead’s hair so she could see Kerry’s face. “You don’t look well.”

“Yeah,” she cleared her throat, “Yes, well... nearly killing us both sorta tends to make someone want to puke.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Then...”

Kerry cut Helena off, “Sorry, I’m still... I had another vision.” She shook her head, “I think-- I... I think that what I saw, it doesn’t happen anymore.”

Helena frowned, “What do you mean?”

Kerry sat up in the driver’s seat and put a hand to her head, “This dagger. The reason it all went to hell is that it’s the wrong dagger. Or something. I saw... I saw the man you were yelling at in the Warehouse. I saw him being stabbed by a redheaded girl with a dagger. But... it wasn’t the one we have, the one you found. It was plainer looking. No jewels on it. Ours has red and blue jewels. And then... How did. I’m not even touching it, and I almost killed us, and...”

Kerry threw the car door open and stumbled out, losing her lunch all over the grass. Helena got out too and went to Kerry’s side, holding the redhead’s hair back and rubbing circles on her back. “We’re alive, it’s alright. You’ll be alright.”

Kerry sat back on her legs and took slow deep breaths, “No, no I’ll never be alright again. But, if you mean I’m done puking, yes, probably.”

Kerry stood, letting Helena help her up. “I’m sorry.”

Helena managed to catch Kerry before she went down again. “Sit, sit...” She helped Kerry down to the ground and tilted Kerry’s head up, looking into her eyes. “Take a few breaths.”

“St--”

Helena moved her fingers and covered Kerry’s lips. “I meant literally Kerry.” She took her hand away, “In...” Kerry stared at Helena for a long moment, then took a breath in, held it, and let it out. “July 14th, 1899. 113 years, two months and 16 days. It never goes away. I wish I could tell you that it does, in time, but, until the day I die I will miss my Christina with all my soul. I would...”

“...give anything to get him-- get her back. I know.” Kerry blew out a breath, “Okay... okay. We should get back on the road.” She stood, then hauled Helena with her. They wound up very much in each other’s arms. Helena didn’t move away, but brushed Kerry’s hair back and kissed her.

oOOOOo

Claudia looked over at Steve, a glint that he didn’t quite recognize in her eyes, “We have to find the Chinese Orchid before Artie gets the dagger. If we don't, he'll release the sweating sickness, we'll have to give him the astrolabe, he'll turn back time, the warehouse won't exist anymore, you'll be dead, the world will lose hope and descend into chaos and despair. You want more? I had a lot of caffeine on the plane. In the 16th century the Fourth Duke of Gandia, a Spanish Jesuit...”

“Stop. You had me at you'll be dead."

oOOOOo

“You fall asleep faster than a cat in a stripe of sunlight you know. And, you were mumbling the name Myka in your sleep.” They were still whizzing down the highway, a very empty highway.

Helena shook her head, “I apologize if I was distracting you.”

“Wasn’t really my point.”

“Considering that you have said nothing about our kiss after you threw up, I’d say we’re both very good at obscuring points, aren’t we?” Helena was silent for a moment, “And... I know it wasn’t your point.” Kerry went silent as well, simply driving and waiting. “She... she saved the world from me once, and, quite possibly saved my soul too. I’ve never really had a best friend, but, I think she might one though.”

After another few miles. Helena went back to Kerry’s vision, “What happened after the man was stabbed?”

“I... it was like a flash, and I think I was in a... It was confusing, and gave me a headache, and I think I passed out, both there and here and...” Kerry put a hand to her head, “God, Kim would have a field day with all this. I’m going crazy.”

“The Escher Vault.”

Kerry blinked and rubbed at her eyes. After a moment she flicked on the turn signal and took an off ramp. “That would explain the confusing tricks my mind was playing on me in the vision. I never liked his art. And, before you ask. If I don’t get another vision or whatever they are, then I will fall asleep at the wheel, so will you, so... we’re stopping and both getting some sleep...”

oOOOOo

“Hey, Kim...” A woman in scrubs with a nurse’s name tag jogged up to Kim.

“What can I do for you Phyllis?”

Phyllis handed Kim a round wooden something. “Your patient who hauled outta here AMA. Left this in the room. You seemed to know his girlfriend.”

Kim stared down at the wooden puzzle, “Ah, no, but... yeah, I’ll take it. Thanks Phyllis. Oh, did the woman, Agent Bering, did you make sure she took all the paperwork, all the...”

“So that when her friend starts having more concussion symptoms she can call 9-1-1. You bet I did.”

“Thank you.”

Kim stood in the hallway and stared down at the puzzle. After a moment she took out her cell phone and dialed a number. “Hey little brother. I have a favor that you can do for your very favorite older sister.”

oOOOOo

“Tell me about her.”

They’d gotten to a run down hotel on the side of the road and it had been easy enough to get a room. Kerry had taken the chair that was by the window, trying to curl up in it, while Helena lay on the bed. Helena glanced over at Kerry, “Her? I thought that we were supposed to be getting sleep?”

Kerry moved a bit in the chair she was reclined in. “Then don’t tell me about her.”

“Myka?”

“Your daughter Christina.”

Helena raised an eyebrow, “If I spill my soul, will you be telling me about this... Kim. I have been around for quite a long time, I can tell when there’s history.”

Kerry’s hand went down to her hip for a moment and she shook her head, “I was a different person when we dated. No son, lots of pent up anger, not to mention very, very, very much in the closet. Your turn.”

Helena stood and yanked the blanket over Kerry off and threw it on the bed, then took a slightly stunned Kerry and pulled her up as well. “In this time I owe Myka my soul. In the 19th Century Christina saved my life, gave me meaning.”

Kerry wobbled a little, then regained her balance, “What are...”

“Bed....”

Kerry stared down at the bed, then back up at Helena, “I think you need to work on your... woo-ing. It’s a little rus--.”

“No dear, I can charm your pants off with little to no trouble.” Kerry raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to respond, but Helena covered Kerry’s mouth with her hand, “We’re both adults, we’re both going to get some rest now. Does that seem like a plan?”

Kerry nodded, then raised her eyebrows and looked down at the hand that was still there.

Helena took it away and cleared her throat, “My apologies. Now...”

“Charm my pants off, what, because you’re a mediocre kisser and sort of gorgeous.”

Helena smiled just a little, “Yes Doctor Weaver, perhaps one day I’ll show you. For now, we sleep.”

Kerry lay down on the bed and rolled onto her side, her back to Helena. “Right, sleep.”

Helena lay back down on the bed, but didn’t close her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling. Kerry, still on her side, also stared straight ahead, looking at nothing, lost in her thoughts.

oOOOOo

All Kim had wanted was silence, but it was not to be had. It always happened to her on airplane rides. She was pretty sure it was because she was a Psychiatrist and generally had an approachable disposition.

The trip from LAX to Sioux Falls South Dakota wasn’t too too long as flights went. Four or Five hours give or take a layover. But, with chatterbox beside her, also known as Mildred, a grandmother who seemed to be totally scared of flying and so talking a bit too much, it was going to seem like an eternity.

Mildred seemed to finally realize that she might be boring Kim with her stories of her precocious young grandson and granddaughter, and asked Kim a question. “Do you have family in Sioux Falls? Or work?”

Kim shook her head, “No, no I don’t.”

Mildred gave Kim a sideways look, “And yet, you’re going to South Dakota. Business?”

“No... I... I’m not exactly sure why I got on this plane anyway. Something is calling to me from... I think it’s a place called Univille.”

Mildred thought for a moment, then shook her head, “Never heard of it. So, you’re looking for something in South Dakota.”

Kim chuckled, trying to lighten the situation, “Yep. Sounds like a bad song huh?”

Mildred patted Kim on the arm, “In that case, good luck young lady. And, I hope you find what you’re looking for. Now... I don’t mind telling you that I don’t like flying, so, I’m going to try and take a nap, if that’s okay with you.”

Kim held up her hands, “Nap away Mildred.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still spoilers for 'We All Fall Down' the WH13 Mid-Season Finale (2012). So, if you haven't seen it, fair warning has been given.

Helena opened her eyes, she smelled something heavenly. Breakfast. She glanced over at the small table-ish desk in the room. “You’re up?”

“I’m up.”

Helena stopped on her way to the bathroom and put a hand to Kerry’s neck. Kerry jerked a little at the contact and stared up at Helena, “What are...”

Helena quirked an eyebrow, “Just seeing if you’re a vampire.” She went into the bathroom, but kept speaking, “By the by, where are we?”

“Luverne, Minnesota.”

Helena was silent, going through morning in a motel ministrations. Finally she came back out into the room and stood at the window that looked out onto the parking lot. “Did you sleep?”

“No.”

Helena glanced over her shoulder at Kerry, “Simply couldn’t be in the same bed as the great HG Wells without wanting to shag me silly?”

Kerry rolled her eyes and went back to whatever she was doing on her computer, “Don’t flatter yourself.” Kerry paused, “And, I thought there was this, Myka.”

“Yes, she’s....”

“...complicated right? So. Are we still going to...”

Helena cut Kerry off, and leaned over her shoulder, “Go back to that story.”

Kerry frowned and hit the back button, “This one, the thing in Europe?”

“We have to go... now.... and, I’m driving.’

Kerry stood, “Just remember, we drive on the...”

Helena shot Kerry a look. “How far away are we from Univille?”

Kerry watched as Helena practically flew around the room as if a dervish, “Somehow, I’m thinking that we’re it’s too far.”

oOOOOo

“No, no, Mom, I’m fine, really. I’m just...” Kim glanced around what could sort of be called a town. “In the middle of nowhere. No Ma, I’m not dying, I promise, I would have told you and Dad for sure. Yes, I’ll call you tonight.” Kim hung up the phone and gave a sigh, now that she was in South Dakota, she sort of realized that she had no idea what she was doing there.

She finally decided that she’d stay the night, then go home and pretend that none of it had really happened. That she hadn’t jumped on a plane to Univille South Dakota to return some wooden brain teaser puzzle that had probably cost less than a cup of coffee.

She went into the post office, there was no line and when she went to the window she got a smile, “How may I help you?”

“Do you have some sort of... hotel, motel, somewhere where I could stay?”

“Leena’s Bed and Breakfast is the closest we have around here, but, she usually doesn’t have much room. You could try though. It’s up the road until, well, the road stops. It’s sort of obvious.”

Kim smiled, “All I really need is a couch, or somewhere to lay my head.”

The postal woman shrugged, “You seem to have a rental car, so, I mean, all it’ll cost you is gas if I’m wrong.”

oOOOOo

“You used to have some sort of physical impairment.”

Kerry watched the road go by through the side window, “Yes. I was born with congential hip dysplasia. It didn’t get fixed when I was a child. I used to use a crutch.”

“Did you get to.... run around with your son before he passed on?”

Kerry smiled just a little bit, “I did, yes. It was...” She paused and turned, “Did you?”

“No. I did not. Kerry, why are you helping me?”

Kerry turned back to her window, “Because no mother should ever lose a child.”

oOOOOo

“Um... hello?”

Kim glanced around the bed and breakfast’s main room. The door had been swinging open, and although it definitely looked like someone lived in Leena’s, it didn’t look like anyone was present. “Hello?”

All Kim got back was an echo.

oOOOOo

“Wow...”

Helena wasn’t paying any attention to Kerry, “Didn’t you see all this in the vision? No Artie, no Myka, Pete, Leena, Jinks... not even Mrs. Frederic. Where is everyone?” She sat down at the computer and logged into Warehouse security. “Oh, no... stay here.”

“Nope.”

“Kerry...”

Kerry gestured towards the Warehouse, “Lead the way.”

oOOOOo

Kim had been up and down all the hallways, she had even started pulling at things on the wall, maybe everyone was hiding behind some fake wall or something. She knew that she was going crazy. She’d never known that going crazy felt so... sane. But, there was this feeling that she had in her gut like she was supposed to be here, and the fact that no one was here to tell her why she was supposed to be in nowhere South Dakota.

She pulled at a weird looking statute and it felt as though she was hit by lightning. She flopped onto her back, and groaned. She closed her eyes, “Perfect, just... perfect.”

She opened her eyes and looked up, and up, and up. “What the hell?” She pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes, and opened them again. “I’m in... why the... apples?” She closed her eyes again for a moment then took a deep breath, “HELLO?”

oOOOOo

“You’re not asking me pointless questions.”

Kerry kept pace with Helena, but just barely, “After the second vision I made a resolution. Roll with the punches. It hurts just slightly less.” Kerry paused, “But you’re worried that whoever you’re going after, that it’s Myka.”

Helena paused in the middle of an aisle, “I would ask that you don’t tell anyone of this, but... I’m worried just as much that it’s Leena, Steven, Claudia, or even Artie.”

Kerry studied Helena for a moment, then put a hand on her shoulder, “Then, we should continue our mad dash for them sooner rather than later.”

Helena didn’t move towards where they’d been going though, she moved towards Kerry. She ran a hand along Kerry’s face, “Will you save my life as well Kerry Weaver?”

Kerry shook her head, “No, you’ve already saved mine Helena. This...” She glanced around, “All this adventure, before, I was... I had nothing left. That’s why I went to Chicago. To say goodbye to the only family I had left. Before that I’d gone to... well, anyway, Boston amongst other places. Now... let’s find out who you found, and then...” Kerry turned her head and kissed the palm of Helena’s hand. Then she started again walking the way that they’d been going. After a moment Helena caught up.

She gestured towards a doorway, “The bronze sector--I--” She trailed off as they entered. A blonde woman was kneeling next to a dead young woman. Helena drew her Tesla gun, “Freeze.”

The woman looked up, “I didn’t ki-- Kerry?”

Kerry mumbled, “Roll with the punches, roll with the punches. Helena-- I’m pretty sure she didn’t kill whoever that is on the floor. And... I’ll be... somewhere that isn’t in this room.”

Both women watched Kerry escape the room. Kim stood, “Ah-- I-- I’m Kim Legaspi. My first question is, where the hell are we?”

Helena ignored the question and knelt down next to the dead woman, “Leena-- oh Leena.” Helena stood, “I need to-- I’ll be back in a moment.”

Helena found Kerry two rows over, sitting on the ground, her back against the lowest and her eyes closed. Helena sat down next to the red head. “We have more to do love.” Kerry said nothing and didn’t move, just stared at the teapot that was sitting on the shelf across from them. “My first woman was a-- lady of the night--. Although she was off the --clock-- when I seduced her. It was an experiment, until it became more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my share of fun with men, but when she entered my life...” Kerry glanced over at Helena, but still didn’t respond, “Our first loves, they never turn out the way we want them too, and, at least yours didn’t have her cash carrier point a gun at you.”

Kerry turned her head entirely towards Helena and stared at the woman. “Ah, yes, you have me beat there.” She blew out a breath, “I want to punch her, hard, in her pretty nose.”

Helena was silent for a moment, then let go a short chuckle, “You must let me be there when you do that Kerry, and when...” she gestured to the Warehouse, “...all this is done, you must tell me your and her story.”

Kerry sucked in a breath and her hands went to her head, “Ahhh...”

Helena got to her knees and knelt in front of Kerry, “Kerry, Kerry...”

oOOOOo

Kerry was on her back again, she was having a vision, again. She was sick of the visions. And each time they hurt more than the previous one. Her head hurt mostly. Her vision slowly cleared and she blinked in surprise. She was where she started, where the first vision had taken place. Up on the balcony that seemed to be an observation point for the entire Warehouse.

She squinted, something was going on in one of the thousands, millions, whatever, of rows of stuff. There was Helena, and she was yelling or at least talking emphatically at an older brown haired man with a beard and a few extra pounds. One hand was poking the man in the chest while the other held back a small dark haired child who looked like the spitting image of Helena.

Then it was as if Kerry zoomed in on a word document’s page, and suddenly it was like she was standing right behind Helena and Christina. “We must go back in-- we must Artie.”

“Pete...”

Helena practically snarled, “Pete’s an idiot

Artie put a hand on Helena’s shoulder and she recoiled as if she’d been bitten by a snake. “I know you don’t mean that HG. You should be with your dau...”

“Leave my daughter out of this Artie. This, this is about Kerry, she will not die in that accursed vault. I’m going back in whether I have your and Mrs. Frederic’s permission or NOT...”

oOOOOo

Kerry gasped for breath, her chest raising and lowering like she’d just run a marathon. “Helena?”

“I’m here-- you passed out.”

Kerry put a hand to her head as Helena took possession of the other one, “I- I think we, or I, or, we found her, but, I got stuck in there--” her eyes scrunched closed at the pain that was exploding across her brain. It felt as though her grey matter was literally being ripped in two, even her thoughts were getting scattered. “Don’t... don’t think that’s gonna ha-happen now though...”

Helena shouted towards the Bronze Sector, “Legaspi!”

Kim appeared after a moment, “What’s--”

Helena pulled her hand from Kerry’s and stood, “Stay with her,” and the Warehouse Agent was gone.

“Ah-- so, I’m lost. Literally, figuratively, spiritually, every other -ly.”

Kerry shook her head, “Too much... tell, head hurts too much.”

Kim frowned, “Ah, yes, your nose is bleeding too. That’s generally bad, isn’t it...”

Kerry put her fingers to her nose and they did come back bloody. “If Hel...”

“Helena, that brit with the attitude?” Kerry nodded. “She’s going to save you?”

“Doesn’t, if she... tell Abby, Randi... everyone good-bye.”

Kim glanced around, “Should I tell ‘em that you apparently died in the middle of the government’s secret hoarder warehouse?”

That got Kerry to grin, just a bit, “No... Kim.”

Kim cut Kerry off, “I know, you’re sorry, it’s all your fault.” Kim smiled for a beat, and then her face got serious. “We were both at fault. But, I should have known better. You were so, you, so always in control and so knowledgable about everything that... sometimes, probably too often I forgot that I was your first, and... you’d never done or gone through any of it before. So, I’m sorry.”

Kerry put her hand out and Kim took it, “I’m so-sorry too Kim. Friends? For a few minutes anyway?”

“You’re not going to...” Kim trailed off as Helena appeared at the end of row with two things in her hands, one looked like a very silvery and shiny bag, the other, well, it was a stuffed swordfish. “What the hell.”

“Dagger.”

Kerry tried to move, and then shook her head, “Hurts too much... behind me... in bag.”

Helena put both the bag down and knelt over Kerry, reaching behind her. Their eyes met for a moment, and Helena paused for a moment before she moved back again. She took the silver bag and dropped the dagger in it. Nothing happened. “Damn.”

She took the dagger back out and moved over to the stuffed fish. She held each end of the dagger in a hand, and with one move, lowered it over the swordfish’s nose. It exploded in a shower of sparks, most of them hitting Helena in the face and chest. She winced at the burning, but paid it little attention to herself. Instead scrambling as Kerry let go another gasp and sagged backwards.

oOOOOo

Claudia sobbed into Artie’s chest as Pete did his superhero thing and dove towards the falling flower, a pinpoint of blue that he followed as if it were the last thing he would ever do. While Myka and Jinks looked on in horror. And then it hit Pete’s hand and turned into black... something... that swirled into the air and seemed to touch everything.

oOOOOo

Kim clapped a hand on Helena’s back. “You saved her. I don’t know how in the world a stuffed fished saved her, but you...”

Helena wasn’t listening, “Are you alright Kerry?”

Kerry picked up one of the pieces of dagger. “What if... what if we don’t know enough. What if... we never find your daughter?” She paused, “You don’t even know who I am Helena.”

Helena frowned, “I know enough. And Kerry, I don’t even understand why you would you be seeing visions of my Christina? Not your own life?” She shook her head, “I, but... she.” Helena closed her eyes, “First... first, there’s a... plague going through Europe.”

Kerry frowned, “The news story you read. What does that have to do with...”

“Myka, Artie, Claudia and Pete are in Europe. And.... a sudden sickness that’s afflicting so many people at once. A sure sign of an artifact.” She pulled out a large brown colored metal contraption. A Farnsworth, opened it and punched a couple of the buttons.

The Farnsworth was answered and the picture on the other side wasn’t good, “Hello, Myka?”

Helena’s face was set in stone, “What, what exactly has happened?”

Myka coughed, “Plague. Sweaty plague, the Orchid was released. Helena, we don’t really...”

“I have a plan, but, you...” She glanced over at Kerry, “You need to come back to the Warehouse.”

“Helena. We can’t, we’ll infect you, and...”

Helena stared at the screen of the Farnsworth, “Do you trust me?”

Myka didn’t say yes or not, but did speak, “Claudia wasn’t infected and is trying to find a cure, but... We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

The screen went blank. Kerry spoke, “You have a plan?”

A sad smile came to Helena’s lips, “Save the world?” She paused, “Yes, yes, I have a plan.”

“And Christina?”

Helena stared into Kerry’s eyes, “You saw her? You’re sure you saw her?”

Kerry nodded. “She looked just like the picture in your locket.”

Helena took off the locket and put it around Kerry’s neck, “Then, if my plan doesn’t work, find her, please... she’s a good girl.”

“I... I...” Kerry fell silent, then nodded. “Yes, okay, yes, I will. So, what’s the plan Ms. Wells?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Note, I apologize for the long wait between chapters. I was doing NaNoWriMo and thought that in between crazy writing surges that I would update this too, but, I didn't. Oh, but, I did do FanFic for my NaNo, and I think that I may actually post it, so...
> 
> Second Note. Okay, all the medical stuff is probably horrible. I sorta comment on it in the chapter too, but, I do know that most of the stuff that I have in the chapter doesn't actually work that way, but, I'm gonna go with... it's the Warehouse, stuff can work differently :)

“Go, sit up in the office Kimberly, yeah, wait for the people who are sick nearly to death and do your doctor thing when they stumble in, probably getting me entirely...”

Her phone rang and she answered it, “Hello?”

There was heavy breathing on the other end, “Ki-Kimberly?”

Kim frowned, “Mom?”

“Are you-- are you safe Kimberly? Has it... whatever it is, they aren’t saying anything on the news. The flu, who knows, are you okay hon?”

Kim closed her eyes, the sickness that Kerry and Helena had talked about, that they somehow planned to cure, or solve, or whatever. She sat down in the desk chair and put her free hand to her forehead, “Yeah, yes, Mom, I’m fine for now. I’m a doc, right? Dad... and...”

A cough came through the line and Kim had to swallow back the fear that ran through her. “I just, we’re all here. Just... in case they don’t...”

“They will. Hey, went to the Moon, or at least really did a bang up job of faking it, right?”

Kim’s mom laughed a little, “I love you Kimberly.”

Kim swallowed down the lump in her throat, “Love you too Mom. So... Dad there, Kevin?”

oOOOOo

“BW A509X, that does make sense. Sorry...”

Helena put on a pair of purple gloves, “What? Why?”

Kerry shook her head, “I’m a doctor. BW A509X was what they called AZT while they were working with it at the NCI. It wasn’t originally used for treating HI... ah, sorry.” Kerry stepped backwards, bumping into the shelving. A red jelly ball dropped to the ground and started bouncing, all on its own. “Ah... Helena....”

Helena turned and opened her mouth as the ball shot towards Kerry, but, it was too late as the ball glanced off Kerry as Helena told her to, “Duck...”

Kerry watched the ball bounce down the row with a shake of her head, “I’m okay...”

Helena shook her head, “No... I mean. Yes, of course, that’s good, but it’s the Baylor Dodgeball, now... it will replicate. Here...” She took off one of her gloves and tossed it to Kerry. “Do not let the ball touch anything but the purple glove, can you catch with one hand?”

“Sometimes...”

Helena fell forward as the ball hit her on the back of the head. Kerry managed to get in front of her fall and caught her, then raised an eyebrow, “You were saying?”

Helena rolled her eyes, “We have to catch the ball.”

Kerry nodded, her eyes twinkling, “Yes, I never played it, but that’s generally the point of dodgeball.”

Helena raised her eyebrow, “Remember, I did not grow up in this century.” She pulled Kerry down with her and the balls sailed over their head, “And Kerry, they can kill you.”

Kerry let go of Helena and they stood back to back, “Yes, well... apparently most of the stuff in this place can, so... what’s new. So, one handed catch...”

oOOOOo

Kim hit the end call button on her phone and tossed it on the desk in front of her. There was a noise behind her and she whirled in the chair. The door to the outside slowly crept open. The first one through was a young woman with red hair who looked well. She stumbled to a stop when she saw Kim.

Next was an older man with a grey flecked goatee and a bushel of hair. He looked sick. So did the next two through the door a woman and man, who practically looked like they could brother and sister, and who were holding each other up, barely.

Kim sprang from her chair, her medical training overriding the fact that they carried whatever was killing everyone out there in the world. “Sit...”

Claudia pointed what sort of looked like a ray gun at Kim, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“Kim Legaspi, actually, Dr. Kim Legaspi, Helena and Kerry, another doctor, are looking for something that will help you. The british brunette one had an idea she said.”

Claudia lowered the Tesla just a bit and Kim went to Myka first. But, Myka pushed Kim’s hands back, “Artie, look after Artie first...” Kim had no idea which of the men was Artie and it showed on her face, “One with facial hair...”

Kim went over to him. He was in dire straits for use, so dire that he seemed to be delirious, “Vanessa, I’m--” He coughed, “So-- so sorry, I’ll do better, I can do better.”

Artie grabbed a hold of Kim’s hand. Kim gave it a squeeze, “I know you can. You will- you will.”

Kim glanced at the door, “Damnit Kerry, where the hell are you?”

oOOOOo

Helena and Kerry were both on flat on their back on the Warehouse floor. Each holding a side of the Baylor Dodgeball with a purple gloved hand. “I presume you didn’t have th is much fun... at your last few jobs?”

Kerry stared up towards the ceiling of the Warehouse. “Definitely not. But, despite the craziness right now, holding onto the crazy replicating ball... I’m almost at peace, and that, that hasn’t happened in a long time Helena.” Kerry paused and glanced over at Helena, “No matter what happens next, thank you for that. Now... we should go save your friends right?”

oOOOOo

Kim looked up as first Helena, then Kerry entered the office. “Ah, I think they’re dying. Shouldn’t... shouldn’t we get them to a hospital, or...”

Kerry shook her head as she went to Artie first and looked him over, then did the same to Myka and finally to Pete.

While she was doing that Claudia went to Helena, “What’d you get, how do we fix this?”

Helena held up a syringe, “I knew that I had seen a syringe in my short time here in the Warehouse.”

Kerry spoke up from in front of Pete, “Jerome Horowitz’s Syringe would be my guess.” Pete let go a gigantic sneeze towards Kerry and everyone in the room froze.

“Kerry?”

Kerry slowly stood, giving the male agent a pat on the knee, “Thank you Agent Lattimer is it?”

Pete nodded, then frowned, “So-sorry, she made me sneeze.” He coughed, “Black stuff went into her.”

Kerry walked over to Helena, who stared at the red head with a look of pure horror. “Why, why would you do that Kerry?”

Kerry put one hand to Helena’s cheek, “I this doesn’t work...”

She put her other hand around Helena’s and took a step back, the syringe now in her hand. Helena still stared at Kerry, “Kerry.” She trailed off and seemed to get control of her face and her emotions just a bit, “You-- do you know how to use it?”

Kerry tied a strong looking ribbon she’d found around her upper arm, tapped at the vein on the inside of her elbow, and to the surprise of nearly everyone in the room with absolutely no hesitation plunged the syringe into the vein and pulled back the plunger.

The syringe filled with her blood.

She took it out and looked up when Helena pressed down with a piece of cloth from somewhere to stop the bleeding, and spoke so that only Kerry could hear her. “Love, you have no idea what the cost will be.”

Kerry put her hand over Helena’s and gave it a pat, “I’m fine, and... really, and who do I leave behind?”

Helena opened her mouth to say the word on the tip of her tongue, the word ‘me’, but after a moment, their gazes locked, she didn’t say it, instead she brushed back a lock of red hair from Kerry’s cheek and held her hand there for a moment before nodding and taking as step back.

Kerry shook the syringe and went to Artie’s desk. As she searched through one of the drawers, what had been blood in the vial slowly turned into a clear tinged liquid. After thoroughly turning the drawer upside down she found what she wanted. A bunch of individually wrapped alcohol wipes. She ripped one of them open. “Not exactly good lab technique, and whatever I’m putting into you isn’t my blood anymore apparently, but...” She cleaned the syringe and looked at the Warehouse Agents in distress and approached Artie, “Here goes nothing.”

Artie pushed himself back up against his desk with a groan, “Yes, that is just the thing that one wants to hear...”

Kerry knelt down in front of Artie and without pretense jabbed the syringe into Artie’s thigh and pushed the plunger down just a bit. She didn’t wait to see what happened, but went to Myka and then Pete, performing the same act.

It happened within a few seconds of Kerry’s injection. They each had a bit of a grey cloud seem to come out of their pores, and then they all pinked up. Claudia rushed to, of all people, Artie’s side first and hugged him so hard that he made a bit of a squeak.

Kim helped Myka up while Helena pulled Pete to his feet.

Kerry started to take more blood, but Helena spoke, “No, Kerry, you don’t know what may happen this time.”

Kerry stuck the syringe back in her arm before Helena could finish the sentence.

Nothing happened at first. Kerry took the syringe from her arm, filled with blood and shook it again. She pushed at the resulting hold, letting it clot. Then with a jab injected herself with some of the cure.

She handed the syringe with the rest of the clear fluid to Artie, that should be enough for the CDC to replicate... uh....”

Kerry stumbled a little, her leg giving and a look of pain on her face. Helena got to her side just in time to catch her. “Kerry-- what?”

Kerry frowned down at her right leg. She was stunned because she hadn’t felt that particular pain in years, “My hip...”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long time between chapters. Life has gotten in the way, and really not in a good way. But, I'm nearly done I hope, so, here goes nothing...

It was Kim who had moved first after Kerry had spoken. She’d grabbed the closest stick, a light brown staff looking thing with fabric wrapped around it at the middle and on the top. Helena and the Warehouse Agents had all said some variation on ‘wait’. And Kim had nearly dropped the staff.

But Claudia had just laughed, “Cosplay guys, I was Gabrielle?” They looked back at her with blank looks still on their faces, “It’s fine, I made the thing. It’s not an artifact, ‘kay.”

Steve, Jane and Mrs. Frederic had entered the office not long after that and the noise had started. Kerry glanced out the window of the office and out towards the Warehouse, then back in to where everyone was talking at once. Myka, Steve Jinks, Claudia Donovan, Mrs. Frederic, the Regent, Jane. Pete, Artie, and Helena. 

Kim stood next to Kerry and was also silent. The blonde finally whispered to Kerry, “This is all weird right? Am I hallucinating?”

Kerry glanced over at Kim, “Would you hallucinate me?”

Kim waggled her hand in a maybe, maybe not gesture, “Don’t know. Would you hallucinate me? Or for that matter getting your bad hip back?”

“Nope. Well... maybe the hip, but never you.”

Kim put a hand to her chest, “Ouch. That hurts.”

Kerry looked over at Kim again, “You told me to move on with my life. I did and you’re surprised?”

Kim smirked, “You like the tall dark and gorgeous one over there.”

Kerry shook her head, “She’s HG Wells Kim, that’s just...”

“...perfect.”

“No. I-- three strikes and I’m out. My life was much simpler before...”

“Me. You can say it. But, Ker, if you only get three chances at love, I was screwed before I ever met you. ‘If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.’ Isn’t that one of his... well, her quotes?”

Kerry shook her head, “I don’t even think. We weren’t... we saved the world, but, we weren’t here to do that, we...” Kerry suddenly turned to face Kim, “We have to go.”

“No, no, no.... nope. No.”

Kerry smiled a very unconvincing smile at Kim, “Please.”

Kim blew out a breath and looked at all the Warehouse personnel who were still bickering back and forth. “We’re going to go do what they’re all fighting about right? Find this....”

“Christina. Helena’s daughter, yes.”

Kim pursed her lips and shrugged, “What the hell, it’s not like my brother won’t already be pissed that I used his information to stumble into somewhere where I really, really shouldn’t be.”

“Your brother?”

Kim nodded, “Yep. FBI, but not the parts that are on the television, the... ah, other parts. He sorta told me where Bering worked, and now...” Kim paused, “Are we going to do whatever you’re going to make us do?”

Kerry glanced towards the group of people, and then took a good grip on the staff and left the room, Kim fast on her heels. 

It was Helena who noticed first. “Where are Kerry and Dr. Legaspi?” No one answered, and Helena stared into nothingness for a moment, “Where did she say she saw... where, where... oh damn.”

oOOOOo

Helena stumbled to a stop in front of the open door to the Escher Vault. With scary accuracy for her current state of mind she went about opening the alcove where the special goggles were. Or, more specifically where they were supposed to be, they weren’t there, and from the thick coating of dust in the alcove it looked like they hadn’t been there or for that matter the alcove hadn’t been opened for awhile. “Damnit all.” 

Helena took a step forward and then felt herself jerked backwards, “You can’t go in there. Artie, Claudia, Steve, Pete. We’ll tell them, get them all looking for the goggles, wait for them to...”

Helena shook her head, “I’m sorry Myka, I can’t wait, she and the Doctor are in there without...”

“Maybe they used ...”

Helena cut her off, “What? My vest, that is sitting powerless in this very Warehouse?”

Myka’s Farnsworth went off, “Artie don’t come to the vault, find the goggles so we can go in, they’re not here.”

“They’re not... that’s not possible.” He paused, “Tell HG not to move a muscle until...”

Myka looked up, Helena was nowhere to be found, and cut her boss off, “It’s too late Artie. Find them and get them here, NOW.”

oOOOOo

Kerry came to a stop and Kim bumped into her back. “I.. I found her. Wow. I found her.”

Kim glanced over Kerry’s shoulder. “It’s a statue.”

Kerry walked over to the bronze girl and put a hand on the statue’s cheek. “No, I mean, yes, but, they, I think Helena called it-- bronzing, but, it doesn’t really look bronzed, so, perhaps something else? This is Helena’s daughter. My vision was right...”

“How very-- Cordelia of you--”

Kerry turned and narrowed her eyes at Kim, “Really, Cordelia, not Phoebe? You watch too much Buffy.”

“That wasn’t Buffy, that was Angel. There’s a difference...”

“Oh?”

Kim changed the subject, “So, how exactly are we going to get out of here, because, you know how we came in behind where we are now, well, you’ll see, there’s a wall there now.”

“Ah...”

Kim gave Kerry two thumbs up, “Yep, awesome plan Doctor Weaver.”

“God, just, shut up Kim, okay...” Kim blinked in surprise at Kerry’s outburst and Kerry blew out a breath, “I’m sorry, I... I’m sorry.”

Kim raised her hands in front of her. “You were never good at taking responsibility for things right?”

Kerry gave Kim a push in the chest, “Oh, so, we’re back to the past. Where you wanted me to jump out of the closet when I barely understood what the hell I was feeling.”

“You did it for Sandy right?”

“She did it for me, and trust me blondie, I was pissed at her for a long, long time. Her corner florist shop loved her for months. Her credit card company did not. So, back the hell off and...”

“She moved.”

Both Kerry and Kim’s eyes went to the young girl, who looked about eight or so, that seemed to be encased in some sort of metal. “That’s not possible. You bumped into her.”

“You bumped into her.”

Kerry looked at Kim, “What are you, five?”

“Ten... so...” She stuck her tongue out and made a pffttttt sound at Kerry. “What are ya gonna do about it huh? huh?” Kim whacked the staff out of Kerry’s hands, causing the red head to fall to the ground and the staff to clatter next to her.

“Grow up you b--”

“Whoa... look at that. It’s glowing.” Kim was right, the staff was glowing, a sort of purple glow encompassed the whole thing.

Kerry sniffed the air, “Do you smell.... fudge?”

Kim sniffed, “Ah... no... but, wait,” Kerry picked up the staff before Kim could stop her, “What if it had.... had. Killed you or something?”

Kerry shook her head, “Generally in this place, I’ve found that purple seems to mean safe.” She looked around, “It’s... I know how to get out.” She put the staff in Kim’s hand, “Go, get help.”

Kim stared down at the staff, “You’re serious. This is... it isn’t logical, or, or...”

“Please. We ended badly, yes, but, you know me as well as almost anyone. Would I believe any of this if I hadn’t... am I one prone to flights of fancy?”

Kim opened and closed her mouth, then with a slow breath out stared down at the still glowing purple staff in her hand and with a shake of her head, “If I die from starvation in here I’m going to haunt you ‘til the day you die, then dog you in the afterlife too Weaver. Got it?”

Kim took another deep breath and held out the staff in front of her. “Let’s go...” 

It wasn’t long before she was gone from Kerry’s sight, leaving Kerry and the statue alone. Kerry put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “I hope that you’re okay in there. Your Mom has been looking for you for quite a long time you know. So, Kim’ll go get her, and maybe all your new Uncles and Aunts, because I think that most of them, even if they protest too much, really love Helena.”

“Kerry!”

Kerry’s head snapped up at her name. And it sounded as though it had been said with an English accent. “Helena?”

“KERRY!”

“Don’t Move Helena.... Kim’s getting...”

Helena cut Kerry off, “No, I can see you... is that... my heavens. My God.”

Kerry managed, but only barely, not to turn away and watched as the floor seemed to either fall away or try and jump up and get Helena as she ran towards where Kerry and Christina were. She took one last jump as a whole section of floor disappeared from beneath her, and it was all that Kerry could do to throw herself towards the edge of the hole and catch Helena by the wrist before she fell who knows where.

Helena stared straight up at Kerry with a smile on her face, and only blackness beneath her, “Good catch.”

Kerry pulled up with everything she had, trying not to slide into the hold herself. Finally she had Helena up high enough the the dark haired former Warehouse agent grabbed onto the edge of the floor with her hand and with an audible grunt was up and onto the floor next to Kerry. “Shoulda brought my grappler.”

Kerry didn’t move as Helena got to her knees and crawled over to the statue of her daughter. “Christina,... Christina...” She hugged the statue, her shoulders hitching just a bit. After a moment she realized something and halfway turned towards where Kerry was still sprawled on the floor. The red head hadn’t gotten the energy to sit again. “Where’s the blonde doctor?”

Kerry looked towards the space where Kim had gone, it had changed again. “Hopefully she’s gone to get help.”


	8. Chapter 8

Kim was pretty sure that her heart wound up near her brain as the door to the vault opened just as she got there and two people, the red head woman and curly haired woman, came at her with googly eye glasses on. “Whoa....”

The curly haired woman gripped Kim’s arm way too hard, “Where are they? What were you thinking? Are they okay? Wh...”

Kim did the first thing that came to her mind and kissed the curly haired one silent. “I can take you to her, Kerry I mean. What do you mean they?”

Myka waved Kim off, “It doesn’t matter. Claud...”

“On it... go look for HG and bring ‘er back so you, with what will probably be a lot of help from Artie, can ream her out for going into the Escher Vault with nothing but her clothes on. Gotcha...”

Claudia started to go on her way, then Myka caught her shoulder. “Oh, and we’ll be talking about where you got your... stick... too... because, I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to glow.”

oOOOOo

“Why’d you do this? Why did you come in here?”

Kerry shrugged, they both sat in front of the bronzed statue, “It felt like the right thing to do. I-- I have crazy question to ask you. When the staff that I used, when it lit up all purple there was this smell of...”

Helena nodded, “Fudge.”

“How did you do it?”

“It?”

Kerry gave Helena her best Chief of the ER look, which she got right back. Along with no answer. “Because you’ve been in here before?” There was still silence from Helena. “You can be a pain in the ass.”

A small smile curled Helena’s lips, “I have been told that on one of two occasions.” She stared at her daughter again, “I just want to... rip her from inside the bronze with my bare hands and hug her until she squeaks and tells me to stop.”

Kerry reached over and took Helena’s hands in her own. “You’ll get through this. All those people out there, the ones we saved, you’re their family. No matter what happens, you’ll...”

Helena cut Kerry off, “We’ll...”

“We’ll get through this.”

Helena brushed a lock of hair from Kerry’s eyes, then let her fingers trail down the red head’s cheek, neck. Kerry caught them and kissed each one after that, her heart trying to beat its way from her chest. “Ah... statue... your... child.”

Helena smiled, “We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.” She pulled Kerry to her and kissed her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #1: Yes, I know that the manuscript that I use in this chapter wasn’t published until 1903, but in my fictional fanfic world he wrote a first draft before 1899... which, yes, is probably untrue as well, but, ah well... the dates almost, almost work, but not quite....
> 
> #2: And yes, I sorta took a scene from ‘Rampage’ in the 7th Season of ER, although it wasn’t Kerry in the original scene.

Kerry had come to the conclusion that the Warehouse agents were quite a rowdy bunch. And she’d been right in the Vault. Once the yelling and gnashing of teeth over why either of them had gone into the vault, all of the agents, to varying degrees, embraced Helena. Myka and Claudia with no hesitation, Pete and Steve after only a bit of hesitation. Then there was Artie. It seemed as though he wasn’t sure if he should like her or not, and after a few moments he approached her and held out his hand. Helena shook it, then pulled him in for a hug as well, much to his chagrin.

After the reunion and everything they were all in the Bronze sector again. Christina’s statue was in the bronzer and Helena stood over the control panel, not quite able to press the button to de-bronze her daughter.

Of all the people in the room it was Steve Jinks who stepped next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know you as well as the rest of these people, but... you somehow found Kerry in the Escher Vault with no help from technology. Do you really think that you can’t deal with whatever state your Christina is in too?”

“She could... she could remember the past centuries, and...”

Before anyone could move Steve poked at the screen and the de-bronzing process started.

Even Artie didn’t seem happy with Steve’s action, “Steve...”

“Yeah, Jinksy... really?”

Helena patted Steven on the back, “Thank you Steven.”

“No problem HG.”

They all waited, holding their breaths. Once the de-bronzing was done and the door opened the little girl blinked and was perfectly still for a moment. Then she was out of the capsule like a shot, tossing the pile of papers she had in her hand on the ground and wrapping her arms around her mother’s legs, “Mummy, mummy... they said you were dead Mummy... you’re here...”

Myka put on a purple glove and picked up the manuscript while Helena wrapped Christina in a hug and didn’t move for a long few minutes. Finally she pulled back just a bit, “I’m here. I’ll always be here Christina.” Helena smiled, “We... we are going to be attached at the hip you and I...”

Christina laughed, “Mummy... that’s not possible.”

“Oh, oh? Not possible. What in the world is impossible?”

“Nothing is impossible Mummy... Who’re they?”

Pete seemed to swoop in, “My name’s Pete, you must be Christina. Wanna see something really, really cool?”

Christina looked up at her mother, who nodded. Myka waited until they were out of the room before she handed a glove, which Helena put on, and then handed her the manuscript. “I think... I think that she doesn’t remember being bronzed. Because of this.”

Helena took it and stared down at it for a moment, Claudia and Steve looking over her shoulder. “J.M. Barrie’s first draft of ‘The Little White Bird’?”

Artie nodded, “That makes sense. The novel where Peter Pan was...”

“...I am aware of the novel Arthur, I knew James.” She stuffed the stack of paper against Artie’s chest, “Did you know about this? Did YOU?”

Artie shook his head, “I didn’t HG. If I had, I would have told you.”

Helena seemed to be staring holes into Artie, “Someone knew, someone from Warehouse 12... put MY daughter... away... years, a century... I--” She stared up at the ceiling, “She was my DAUGHTER.”

Myka put a hand on Helena’s shoulder, but the dark haired woman shrugged it off and paced the length of the bronze sector and stood near the statues. Finally after a minute she turned, a look on her face that Myka and Artie had seen before. In the Yellowstone Caldera. “I will destroy them all.”

“Helena...”

“HG...”

Since she hadn’t gotten another crutch or walking stick, Kerry slowly walked to Helena and stopped in front of her. She didn’t touch the woman, just spoke, “There’s a second part to the story of the death of my Henry. The man who hit my son. He got a slap on the wrist. He was connected, or some such nonsense. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that he was out, and, so, a few weeks later I happened to be working the night shift at the ER that he was wheeled into. Through a confluence of events I was the only attending there that night actually. It was such a busy night too. He was between life and death, and with the nurses, residents, interns in the room. And then... all of a sudden I was alone with him in an elevator going up to the surgical suites. And he was coding...”

Kerry paused, “You hold the lives of everyone associated with the Warehouse in your hands, I have no doubt that you could destroy them all. They kept your daughter from you, and lied about it. You don’t know why, you may never find out why because they may not know why. But, that girl out there, thinks that you hang the moon, that you’re a superhero. You take revenge on anyone, you lose her, forever, again. And this time it will be all your own fault. It’s your choice.”

Helena was silent, her gaze going between Kerry and the doorway. After a few moments Kerry spoke again, “Ah, and if you could make a decision sorta soon that’d be great, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to stay on my feet. You just got your greatest wish, and all you have to do to keep her is forgive.”

Helena reached forward and Kerry started to go down, getting an arm around Kerry’s waist just in time. Her eyes went to someone who had appeared behind everyone else in the room, and everyone turned. “Mrs. Fredric.” She paused, “Did you know?”

Mrs. Fredric inclined her head, “I did not.”

Helena’s eyes narrowed, “You’re lying.” Steve sort of made a face, but said nothing as Claudia elbowed him in the gut. And Helena continued, “But, Kerry is correct. I have Christina, that’s all that matters. But, if you, or any of the Regents get any...”

Mrs. Fredric cut Helena off, “If I could have a moment alone with you Ms. Wells?”

Kerry gave Helena’s waist a squeeze. “Go, I think that between us all we can keep an eye on Christina for a bit. And Steve’ll be happy to help me find something that’s not going to glow, or make me see things, or whatever, that I can use as a cane.”

Steve pointed at himself, “Me?”

Kerry smirked and nodded, then leaned over and kissed Helena. “Just listen to her.”

Steve’s arm replaced Helena’s around Kerry’s waist and they left the room. Helena could hear as Steve spoke, “You know, you’re sort of bossy.”

Helena heard Kerry chuckle, “And you remind me of my son. Well, if he’d grown into a man and stayed out of the sun for his whole life.”

“Hey now.”

Helena focused on Mrs. Fredric, “So, do the threats start now?”

Mrs. Fredric shook her head, “No Ms. Wells, I have a proposition for you.”


	10. Chapter 10

“You kissed me to shut me up.”

“Did it work?” Myka was silent at that, “So, was it the action or the gender that threw you off.”

Myka frowned, “Both.”

“Really. I thought that you and HG Wells had a...”

Myka cut Kim off, “What, no. C’mon. No. She’s my... She’s one of my best friends. We’re like two sides of a coin, but, coins are friends, not...” Myka cleared her throat, “Plus, have you seen she and Kerry going at it...” Kim raised an eyebrow at that and Myka blushed, “With words, with words... God. I’m usually much better with words.” Myka watched Kim again, “You really are strange.”

Kim smiled as she reached into a small basket and pulled out a couple of pieces of broken lamp.

“Take the lamp. Pete did it while he was showing Christina...”

The smile didn’t leave Kim’s lips, “--how to play real football. Well, real football, according to him. Yep.”

Myka shook her head as she sat down across the table from Kim. There was an old looking tablecloth on it and on top of that a tube of glue as well as the big pieces and the basket with the little pieces. “It’s unfixable.”

Kim shook her head as she carefully tried to fit pieces together, one by one. “Didn’t you hear little Christina. Nothing’s impossible. I believe nothing is unfixable.”

Myka shook her head, “Definitely a psychiatrist.”

Kim didn’t look up as she spoke, “You looked me up.”

“I’m Secret Service, it’s sort of what we do.”

Kim found a match between pieces and looked up, “You could have just asked.”

“Asked?”

Kim gestured with her chin back towards the living room. “Ask Ker in there. I’m an open book.” She fell silent as did Myka. Kim worked in silence, slowly putting together the pieces. “What will happen to me?”

Myka shook her head, “I don’t know for sure. If you have a skill useful to the Warehouse you may be able to stay or-- we have artifacts that can make you forget too.”

Kim looked up, “That’s ominous. I’d really prefer to keep my sanity, memories, et cetera.”

“Oh... Mrs. Fredric.”

Kim frowned, then saw that Myka wasn’t looking at her but over her shoulder. Kim turned, “Oh, you just... appeared.”

Mrs. Fredric interrupted Kim. “Agent Bering, a word?”

Myka nodded and stood, “Good luck with the lamp Kim.”

oOOOOo

Kerry blew a breath out and Helena rested her chin against the top of Kerry’s head. They were on the couch in the main room of the Inn, Kerry resting back against Helena’s body, and both watching as Pete played with Christina. They had a deck of cards, it had started out as Crazy Eights, but Kerry was pretty sure that now they were playing some form of Poker. An idea that Artie had had after the football incident. Helena spoke, “For after the Battle comes quiet.”

Kerry smiled, “The Time Machine.”

Helena chuckled, “Have you read everything I’ve written?”

“Now...” Kerry glanced up at Helena for a moment, “I know that I present a facade of utter coolness and popularness, but, I was a die hard nerd and outcast in school. I read, a lot... But, when I was a little kid and the bullies picked on me... I’d just pretended that they were the stuck up Eloi and that I could um... get back at them like a Morlock would be able to. Poison their atmosphere and scare them to death.”

Helena raised an eyebrow as she looked down at Kerry, “You had violent thoughts towards your fellow students Kerry Weaver?”

Kerry winced, “Ah, yes... It wasn’t until I met Mlungisi and he showed me a large cat that had been killed by a poacher, it was only when I saw real death that I realized I shouldn’t think up ways to kill them just because they didn’t understand me.”

Helena leaned down and kissed Kerry. “Well, that’s a relief to know. I was beginning to think you were just too perfect to be true, never a bad thought or impulse. And I think I need to meet this Mlungisi.”

“I think he would like to meet you too. I-- I didn’t, kill the man who killed my son. I-- I shocked his heart back and they fixed him in the OR.”

Helena smiled, “I never thought any differently.”

Kerry closed her eyes and spoke, “We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams.”

“Or books... Tell me your favorite...” She kissed the tip of Kerry’s nose, “And no using mine.”

“Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.”

Helena frowned, “I don’t think...”

Kerry gently cut her off, “It’s a childrens picture book about Mike Mulligan and his trusty old time-y steam shovel. They are slowly being replaced by bigger and more complicated ones and so Mike can’t find work. But then, there’s a little town who wants the basement of their new town hall to be dug. So, in they go, unfortunately, and...” Kerry looked up at Helena with a twinkle in her eyes, “Spoiler alert...”

Helena smiled, “I believe I’ll risk it Kerry.”

“Just warning you... somehow Mike doesn’t think ahead and the steam shovel gets stuck in the hole with no way to get out, so...”

It was Helena’s turn to cut Kerry off, “They strip it for parts?”

Kerry gave Helena’s side a gentle swat, “No. They turn him into the heating plant for the building. Everyone lives happily ever after.” Kerry paused, the smile leaving her face, “It was Henry’s very favorite book.”

“You can read it to Christina.”

“Helena...”

“Your name is just too bloody short.”

That got a chuckle from Kerry, “Sorry.”

“Middle name?”

“You first...”

Helena leaned forward just a bit and whispered in Kerry’s ear. Kerry’s chest bubbled with a laugh, but she mostly stopped it from coming out. “That’s pretty bad... now, I don’t mind mine you know... Cassandra.”

Helena was silent for so long that Kerry tilted her head up and looked to make sure that Helena was okay. “Cassandra.... Cassandra, as in the young woman who had premonitions?”

“Oh... huh.”

“Kerry Cassandra...” Helena made a face, “Not quite... Kay-cee... yes, that’ll do.”

Kerry groaned, “Helena...”

“KC....” They both laughed. “Kerry. Mrs. Fredric, Irene, she offered my a job in the-- Warehouse Organization I guess you could call it, but, it’s not here in the United States. It... Warehouse 2. In Egypt. It had been buried under the sand, but they’ve finished excavating it. There are still quite a few artifacts there. I would be neutralizing, cataloging what is there. Decide how to send it back to Warehouse 13.”

“That sounds good.”

Helena nodded against the top of Kerry’s head, “Come with us. With me and Christina.”

“I--” Kerry looked upside down at Helena, “I’m not an agent, I don’t have fighting skills, or... any of that. I’m just a doctor who can’t bring herself to heal anymore. And, I’m not as mobile as--”

“Those are some sorry excuses Doctor.”

“What would I--”

Helena laughed, “Whatever I say of course.”

That brought a smile to Kerry’s face, “Oh, really?”

“Gin.” Pete exclaimed.

Christina laughed, “We’re playing Poker Uncle Pete.”

“I’m not sure how Pete’ll take you taking Christina away though.”

Helena tilted her head to one side, “They do seem to be kindred spirits do they not. I wonder if that means my daughter is an old soul...”

“...or Pete’s just juvenile?”

“Mmm... so?”

Before Kerry could answer Kim flopped down next to Helena and Kerry. “Mrs. Fredric is scary...”

Kerry cleared her throat, “She... okay.”

“But, hey, apparently they’re not gonna pry my brain from my skull, apparently I’m the new head shrink doctor at Warehouse 13.”

Helena was a bit peeved at their conversation being interrupted, “Apparently they’ll let anyone work for the Warehouse then.”

Kim made a heh noise in the back of her throat, “Oh, you lot need a boat load of shrinks after what you all go through on a nearly daily basis. So, quick question. Myka, is she...”

Helena looked at Kim with an astounded look on her face, “Dr. Legaspi, I am reclining with Kerry wrapped in my arms, and so you going all.... bro code.... on me now is exceedingly stupid.”

Kim got up and gave Helena a thumbs up, “I’ll take that as a no.”

Helena groaned, “I can see why you broke up with her.”

“I--” Kerry shook her head, “Yes. What the hell. Egypt, Warehouse 2, and musty old things, and you and Christina.” She paused, “The path of least resistance is the path of the loser.”


End file.
